Extensible dolly



Feb. 14, 1961 E, M, ACKLEY ETAL 2,971,768

EXTENSIBLE DOLLY Filed Jan. 9, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

Feb. 14, 1961 E. M. ACKLEY ETAL 2,971,768

EXTENSIBLE DOLLY Filed Jan. 9, 1959 s Sheets-Sheets X F m F FIG: 7. 10 7 INVENTORS- A TTORNEYS.

United States Patent EXTENSIBLE DOLLY Edward M. Ackley, North Wales, Pa., and Edward J. Pfeifrer, Cherry Hill Apts. E., Merchantville, NJ.

Filed Jan. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 785,972

Claims. (Cl. 280-35) This invention relates to an extensible dolly. More particularly it relates to an extensible dolly adapted to the loading, storing, and transporting of collapsed reusable containers and similar fiat articles.

Frequently many different kinds of containers which are used for the shipment of a wide variety of articles from the manufacturing source to a more convenient dis tribution center, are discarded after having been used only once. This uneconomical practice results in an appreciable addition to the cost of distribution of items so shipped. Accordingly, in order to overcome the difiiculties inherent in the efiicient loading, storage, and transport of the aforesaid containers and to make their re-use economically feasible, it is an object of this invention to provide a practical, lightweight dolly suitable for the loading and transport of collapsible containers of various kinds I which have been adapted for re-use.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dolly adjustable to the size of the collapsed re-usable containers or smilar flat articles adapted to be loaded thereon.

t is another object of this inventionto provide a dolly which may be shipped in a collapsed condition, thereby occupying a minimum of shipment space.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dolly adapted to being transported while loaded with collapsed, re-usable containers or similar flat articles which have been adapted for transport with said dolly.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dolly whereby collapsed re-usable containers or similar flat articles adapted to be loaded thereon may be stacked so that the containers cannot fall or be pushed oil? the dolly.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dolly the adjusted size of which is maintained by the collapsed containers or smilar flat articles adapted to be loaded thereon.

It is another object of this invention'to provide a dolly Other objects and attendant advantages will appear.

from the following detailed description of the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a view in perspective showing the dolly, as constructed according to this invention, partially loaded with collapsed containers adapted to be loaded thereon.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showng the dolly, as constructed according to this invention, in its collapsed state suitable for shipment together with its separable vertical support posts.

Fig. 3 is a View in plan of the dolly, as constructed according to this invention, extended to its maximum width and loaded with collapsed containers adapted to be loaded thereon.

Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the dolly, as constructed in accordance with this invention, extended to a width inter- 2,971,768 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 mediate of the extreme positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and partially loaded with collapsed containers adapted to be loaded thereon.

Fig. 5 is a view in plan of the dolly, as constructed in accordance with this invention, in its non-extended or collapsed position.

Fig. 6 is a view of the dolly in side elevation taken as indicated by the lines and arrows VIVI of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view in plan of the dolly, as constructed in accordance with this invention, in its state of maximum extension.

Fig. 8 is a view of the dolly in side elevation taken as indicated by the lines and arrows VIHVIII in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view of the dolly in side elevation taken as indicated by the lines and arrows IXIX in Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a view of the dolly in section taken as indicated by the lines and arrows XXXX in Fig. 7.

Fig. 11 is a view in section of one side frame-member of the dolly taken as indicated by the lines and arrows XI-XI in Fig. 7.

The following description is directed to the specific form of the apparatus as shown in the drawings and is not intended to be addressed to the scope of the invention itself which is capable of being practiced in a wide variety of forms and arrangements.

Adverting herewith to the specific form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a pair of elongated U- shaped frame-members 10 and 11 of rigid construction are joined by an elongated arm-member 12 of similarly rigid construction, so that one end of said arm-member is pivotally secured near an end of frame-member ltlby pivot pin 13 while the other end of arm-member 12 is diagonally secured near the opposite end of frame-mem- 'ber 11 by pivot pin 14. Frame-member 11 is supported at each end by rollers 15 and 16, each of which is journalled in swivel brackets 17 and 18 respectively, and framemember 10 is supported by rollers 21 and 22 similarly journalled in swivel brackets. Near' one end of side frame-member 10 opposite the end at which armmember 12 is pivoted, is positioned a circular opening 23 in the top andbottom segments of the U-frame. A circular opening 24 is similarly positioned in the top and bottom segments of frame-member 11 opposite the end of the frame-member at which arm-member 12 is pivotally secured.

As best seen in Fig. 11, circular openings 23 and 24 are adapted to receive the narrow portion 25 of vertical support post 26. Likewise the uppermost portion of vertical support post 26 has a bore 27 of equal diameter to that of the openings 23 and 24 adapted to receive the narrow portion 28 of yet another jointed vertical section 31. The circular opening 24 in side frame-member 11, of the same diameter as the opening 23 in side framemember 10 is likewise adapted to receive the narrow portion of the jointed section 32 which has a bore in its topmost portion adapted to receive the narrow portion of jointed section 33. All of the aforementioned jointed sections serve as vertical support posts, and may be used interchangeably, one for the other, in any part of the apparatus as'shown.

As best seen in Fig. 10, pivot pin 13 extends through the top and bottom segments of the U-shaped framemember 10 and also through a bracket 34 forming a part of arm-member 12, thereby securing said arm-member pivotally to frame-member 10. Arm-member 12 is of such dimension as to fit into the space between the top and bottom segments of the U-shaped frame-members 10 and :11.

The pivotally secured arm-member 12 is constructed to have flat surfaces 35 and 36 which abut the back walls of frame-members 10 and 11 respectively when the When it is desiredto keep the dolly conveniently in storage prior to its use in transporting and supporting collapsed, re-usable containers or when it is desired to ship the dolly free of its load of containers, the dolly will be kept in its unextended'position, as shown in Fig. 2. When the dolly is put into use for the purpose of loading the aforesaid containers preparatory to their re.- turn for re-use, the dolly will be extended to fit the size of the particular container to be loaded upon it. Upon extension of the dolly to the desired width, the fiat, collapsed containers are loaded upon the dolly by passing the vertical support posts 26 and 32 through circular openings previously provided for that purpose in the flap portions of the containers. The extended dollyis maintained at the requisite width by the rigidity of the flat containers loaded thereon, as shown in Fig. 4. The aforesaid containers are loaded on the dolly one on top of the other, stacked in neat alignment, as shown in Fig. 1. When a sufficient number of said fiberboard containers have been loaded on the dolly so that the top of the vertical support posts 26 and 32 have been reached, an additional jointed section 3-1 may be inserted into vertical post 26 and jointed section 33 into post 32 in order to stack the re-usable containers in greater quantity. When the dolly has been fully loaded, it can then be moved conveniently to a place of storage for ultimate transport together with the fiberboard containers to the place at which re-use of said containers is contemplated.

In practice the re-usable containers are returned loaded upon the dolly to the source desiring to re-use them. The containers may then be removed one by one as they are needed for packaging and shipment. When all of the aforesaid containers have been removed from the dolly in the packaging process, the dolly is collapsed and returned to the shipment destination so that the collapsed containers may be again loaded upon it.

It will be apparent that an important advantage of the present invention lies in its dual properties of lightweight construction and compactness when collapsed, whereby the costs of shipping the unloaded dolly to its destination for ultimate reloading is greatly minimized.

Another important advantage of the dolly, as constructed in accordance with this invention, lies in its extensibility which afiords an easy adaptability of the device to containers of a variety of sizes, while the simplicity of its design contributes as greatly to economy of manufacture as to reduction of Weight.

Moreover, the vertical support posts, as provided in accordance with this invention, afford not only stability to the containers when stacked upon the dolly, but also, being jointed, make all of the containers easily accessible for re-use by removal of the upper sections.

Notwithstanding that the vertical support posts of the dolly as illustrated in the specific embodiment of this invention are provided in jointed sections, it will be clear that the aforesaid posts or uprights may be formed of one-piece units in those cases where such construction will facilitate convenience in the handling and transport of a large variety of flat, sheet-like articles, including collapsed containers.

Although this invention has been disclosed with reference to specific forms and embodiments thereof, it will be evident that a great number of variations may be made without departing from the spirit andthe scope of this invention. For example, parts may be reversed, equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically disclosed, and certain features of the invention may be used independently of other features, all without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims. i

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An extensible dolly for collapsible containers comprising in combination a pair of straight rigid, framemembers, said frame-members having an elongated and generally U-shaped construction, said frame members being so aligned that the open side of each of said frame-members opposes the open side of the other of said frame-members, said frame members being disposed in substantially parallel relation and arranged for horizontal movement toward and away from each other, roller means for supporting said frame-members, said roller means being mounted to swivel about a vertical axis, a rigid, elongated arm-member, said armmember being pivotally secured at each end within the open side of one of said frame-members, said arm memher having a limiting stop at each end thereof whereby the maximum extended distance between said framemembers is limited by said arm-member, said arm-member having dimensions such that it is wholly contained within said frame-members when said frame-members are in abutment with each other, said frame-members each having an opening in a horizontal surface thereof, and telescopic vertical support means adapted to be detachably positioned in said openings in said frame-members and arranged for impalement by said containers whereby said dolly is maintained in its extended condition.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said roller means are mounted at both ends of each of said frame-members.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said vertical support means is formed of detachable tubular sections.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein each of said sections has an outside diameter at one end thereof substantially equal to the inside diameter of said section at the other end thereof.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein each of said sections is interchangeable with any other of said sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 288,867 Ashton Nov. 27, 1883 576,453 Henderson Feb. 2, 1897 1,173,517 Hosick Feb. 29, 1916 2,484,939 Fassett Oct. 18, 1949 2,572,584 Audino Oct. 23, 1951 2,827,302 Skyrud Mar. 18, 1958 2,828,007 Foss Mar. 25, 1958 2,870,980 Higgins Ian. 27, 1959 

